Nnamdi Kanu lawyer give update about dia appeal as Ipob leader dey serve life imprisonment for Sokoto prison

Alloy Ejimakor, one of di lawyers wey bin dey represent di leader of di Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, don tok say di process to appeal di life imprisonment sentence wey di Federal High Court bin sama im client, dey go on smoothly.

E don pass two months wey tori break say Kanu don file process for di Court of Appeal for Abuja against di life sentence wey Justice James Omotosho bin knack am for November 2025.

But since dat announcement on February 5, 2026, nobodi don hear anytin again about di appeal, wey make pipo dey doubt weda Ejimakor and im colleagues true-true file di appeal.

For im statement dis Wednesday, Ejimakor clarify say "di appeal dey already live", only say plenty process dey involved.

"Di entire process (from filing di mata to judgment) dey normally take plenty months, but for "terrorism-related" cases under di Practice Directions, e dey expected to move faster," Ejimakor explain.

Process of cases for di Court of Appeal

According to Aloy Ejimakor, di first step na to file di notice of appeal wey go include di reason why you dey file di appeal. Dis one na wetin Kanu don already do for February dis year.

Den di next step na for di Registrar of di Federal High Court wey try di mata to compile all di records of di case, including all di court proceedings, di exhibits, rulings of di court, and also di judgement and sentencing.

Afta dis, di Appeal Court go invite both di prosecution and defence team to chook head toged and agree on di documents wey go enta for di appeal. According to Ejimakor, dis part don already dey completed.

Den di appellant - wey be Nnamdi Kanu - go file im brief of arguement. within 45 days afta receiving di records of di case. Dis brief of argument na wia dem go explain di legal arguments to support dia reason for di appeal.

Remember say Kanu bin give 22 grounds for im appeal, so for di brief of arguments, e dey expected to give legal backing for di 22 grounds of appeal. As soon as di respondent - wey be di Nigeria govment - receive dis brief of arguments, dem must file dia own response within 30 days, and di appellant fit also file a short response within 14 days, if necessary.

Afta di two parties don file dia briefs of arguments, di Court of Appeal go list di mata for hearing and fix date. Di hearing na just for di two parties to orally clarify di brief of arguments wey dem bin don file.

Usually, na panel of three justices dey take charge of mata for di Court of Appeal and during di hearing, dem go just ask questions and take notes. Dem no dey call any witness for dis kain trial like di one for di High Court.

Afta di hearing, di Appeal Court no go give judgement on di same day, rather dem go reserve judgement for some weeks - but e no go pass 90 days.

Normally, di judgement of di Appeal Court gatz do three tins: to overturn di judgement of di trial court and set di applicant free; or to dismiss di appeal and sustain di judgement of di trial court - which mean say di defendant go remain convicted; or to return di mata to di trial court for retrial.

Depending on di judgement of di Court of Appeal, either of di parties fit choose to carry di mata to di Supreme Court wey be di highest court for di kontri and dia decision na final.

As e be now, di Court of Appeal neva fix any date for hearing of di Nnamdi Kanu mata.

Remember say during im trial bifor Justice James Omotosho for di Federal High Court, Nnamdi Kanu bi withdraw all di lawyers wey bin dey represent am, including Aloy Ejimakor, as e tok say e wan represent imsef.

So officially, Ejimakor no be Nnamdi Kanu lawyer per se, but di Ipob leader retain im and some of im colleagues like Barr Maxwell Opara, Mandela Umegborogu, Nnaemeka Ejiofor and Patrick Agazie as consultants.

For di notice of appeal, Kanu inform di Appeal Court say im go like to dey present for di appeal hearing becos e fit be say e go represent imsef for di appeal.